


Scream

by silence_since_silence



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Aftermath of Sexual Assault, Canon Era, Sexual Assault
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2021-01-16 07:27:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21267293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silence_since_silence/pseuds/silence_since_silence
Summary: There's a feast in Prince Arthur's honor, and Merlin, not in the best mood already, goes to take a walk.





	Scream

**Author's Note:**

> Do NOT read this story if the tags include something you count as a trigger. READ THE TAGS.
> 
> Written for [Camelot_Drabble](https://camelot-drabble.livejournal.com).

Sometimes, Merlin needs to scream in frustration. Unfortunately, at the moment, he is serving at a feast in Prince Arthur's honor.  
  
"More wine, my lord?" Merlin asks.  
  
"Yes, Merlin," Arthur replies, and makes absolutely no move to make Merlin's reach easier. "Without the attitude and false subservience, if at all possible," he adds.  
  
"Of course, anything you say, sire," and Merlin adds a bow that brings his head lower than the level of the table.  
  
Arthur breathes out a long-suffering sigh. "Go find me another slice of pudding, Merlin. Take your time about it, and come back without that scowl."  
  
Merlin doesn't even reply. He turns away to drop the wine pitcher back on the serving table, and leaves the hall through a side door.  
  
He only makes it halfway down the hall when someone grabs him from behind and pulls him into a broom closet. The door slams shut, ensuring darkness. Hands are running over his torso before he can ask what's happening or figure out who it is with him in the closet. He feels the person start kissing his neck, and he tries to get a hand up to push them away. The person only grabs him tighter.  
  
"Who are you?" Merlin asks.  
  
There is no reply other than a tight sucking feeling on Merlin's neck. Merlin jerks his head away, but the suction keeps the mouth attached. Meanwhile, a hand has been making its way lower down Merlin's back. Merlin feels a hard squeeze to one of his buttocks over his trousers, and then fingers pushing against his entrance.  
  
He freezes.  
  
The sucking mouth licks straight down from Merlin's neck into the top of his shirt. The remaining hand on Merlin's torso grabs his wrist in a vice grip and tries to maneuver him.  
  
That's when a tide of magic fills the closet and shoves the mystery person off of Merlin and into a wall. Their head bangs back into the stone.  
  
Merlin realizes he's screaming, so he stops. The magic force subsides, and Merlin hears the person thump to the ground.  
  
The door to the closet flies open, and Arthur is there, silhouetted by the many bright lights of the hall beyond.  
  
"Merlin? What–" Arthur starts.  
  
Merlin looks down to find that the person who just violated him is one of Camelot's knights. He folds his arms around himself defensively, but loses his composure anyway. He leans against the closet wall behind him for stability while tears that he cannot stop roll down his face. Despite the crying, his dominant emotion is anger.  
  
Arthur gives him a minute, but he can't ignore the loud speculation coming from the revelers in the other room. "Merlin, can I take you to your room?" Arthur asks. He angles his body slightly to face that direction and make the way out of the closet clear. He also opens his hand, in case Merlin wants to take it.  
  
Merlin keeps his arms around himself, but exits the closet with a nod.  
  
Arthur closes the door and bolts it so the knight responsible for whatever just happened can't run away if he wakes up. He looks back toward the party and sees Sir Leon in a doorway.  
  
"Leon. Tell everyone to continue. Then stand guard on this door. Gaius may enter, but nobody else can go in or out. If I'm not back before you get fatigued, or if there's a problem, send a servant to me and I'll come at once."  
  
"Yes, sire," Leon replies.  
  
Arthur turns back to Merlin and sees he has his back turned. He moves to stand beside him and asks, "Ready?"  
  
Merlin's reply is to start walking.  
  
They're most of the way to the physician's chambers when Merlin says, "I don't know why that just happened." He's still crying, but the tears are drying quicker on his skin from the walking. "He grabbed me. I didn't even know who it was until you opened the door."  
  
"You were screaming," Arthur says.  
  
"I managed to shove him away. He hit his head on the wall. I didn't think about it before doing it. Maybe the screaming was another instinct."  
  
"I'm glad you have that instinct," Arthur says.  
  
Merlin looks at him briefly. "You're not mad one of your knights is unconscious in a closet, or that I caused it." It's not really a question.  
  
Arthur answers anyway. "What was going on... Merlin, it was written all over your face. You didn't cause it. He caused it. You didn't want to be there. You defended yourself well."  
  
At that, Merlin hiccups and starts crying more forcefully. "No I" -hiccup- "didn't! He got me alone! His hands were-" -hiccup- "and his- and I could have-"  
  
"Merlin, Merlin," Arthur soothes. "He did something reprehensible. You did what you could when you could. There's nothing I'm more glad for right now than that you defended yourself in the end, and successfully, regardless of how long you were forced to endure that assault before those defensive instincts kicked in. Don't you think for one instant that any better or different action on your part would make his choice any less inexcusable and vile. I want you to spend no time running over the unchangeable situation that has now passed, though is still fresh. Instead, please focus on feeling safe again. Anything you need. As long as you need. Please."  
  
They round the last corner and stop at the outer door to the physician's chambers.  
  
Merlin's hand pauses on the door. His gaze fixes on the stone doorframe. "Will you talk with me a while?" he asks.  
  
"Of course," Arthur says.  
  
Later, Arthur will need to get a couple more details from Merlin, relieve Leon, and think about sentencing. Punishment for sexual assault is severe in Camelot, and besides being stripped of his knighthood, the details of the assault could call for anything from losing both hands, to castration, to banishment, to beheading. Merlin will have a say if he wishes, of course, and that might go some way toward making the sentence lighter; Merlin always has been the bleeding heart type.  
  
For now, Merlin and Arthur go in to talk more.

**Author's Note:**

> _Don't you think for one instant that any better or different action on your part would make his choice any less inexcusable and vile._
> 
> If you're dealing with any sexual assault of your own, please do what you can to take care of yourself. There can be many emotions, and they will likely want a way out. If talking works, then talk. If writing works, then write. If advocacy works, then advocate. Do anything, or everything, or what you can.


End file.
